Forbidden
by moeruhoshi
Summary: Humans are nothing but trouble. Princess x Dragon AU


**can't you tell how obsessed i am with princess x dragon AU's**

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His father warned him of humans, beasts who would lure you in with their fake smiles and kind words if given a chance to do so. That their hugs were filled as an opportunity for them to stab an unsuspecting creature in the back. There were tales of the dark ages, when humans and dragons fought, allies with inherited magic turning their back on their masters to side with their native race. Gone into hiding after the Dragon King Festival had ended, their lives spent apart for over four hundred years.

Natsu liked to explore, away from home and from the prying eyes of his cousin, yearning to see the world outside of their marked coven. He snuck away whenever his parents had gone hunting, returning with just enough time left to seem as though he'd been brawling with Gajeel all day. He never went too far, flying quick and low into the neighboring woods, strolling in a similar but smaller dragon form. He liked the different scents floating in the air, finding flowers, not near his home, fruits he'd never tasted before, showing down a wolf to prove himself as the alpha. He was careful, never near a village, never near a path he knew the humans traveled. If there was ever any trouble, he was off in a flash, never daring to look back if there were humans who'd be out for his scales. Pelts of war, his father would say.

On this particular day, he made his way to a lake he had heard elders talking about, one that sparkled brighter than the sun under a full moon. It was risky to stay away from his home at night, but Igneel and Grandine had gone for elk beyond the mountains so it wouldn't have been till the next weekend they'd come home. Natsu had an affinity for the more shiny things in life, he was a dragon, after all, his tail swishing just thinking about the glittered water. He flew, hidden above the clouds and down under the large treetops, no town or village close enough to be on his radar. He happily trotted through the empty woods, curling into a comfortable ball once he reached the water's edge. There was still time before the sun would set, the dragon letting his eyes flutter shut, napping while he waited for the wonder to appear.

It was light, the sound of her voice as she hummed, stirring his more than sensitive senses. He was cautious, opening one eye to see a girl on the other side of the lake. The clouds were now a mix of purples and oranges, sun almost out of sight. Her toes waded in the water, eyes glued to the rippling surface; she hadn't noticed him yet. He stayed still, in the dark, probably looking like a rock to her. Women, his father told him, were the most vicious of their kind. They could fake a smile through any pain, used it to gain their wants and needs, to hide their malice as they took your life. Kindness so ripe only to bitter the tongue with their hidden lies if one was foolish enough to take a bite.

He was scared, sure, swore he wouldn't take his eye off her. But he wouldn't wait a month and risk coming back here just because a girl had found her way into these thick woods. It was strange seeing her, dressed in fine silk and embroidery, no guard by her side to acknowledge her status as a lady or royal. His ears tuned in to the forest around them; no one else around for miles.

She sat in a small patch of wildflowers, twisting them into a crown to wear, song still vibrating lightly as she placed it atop her head. She whispered for her mother as she looked towards the sky, the moon beginning its cycle. Her finger traced and connected the constellations, Natsu following her movements as she did so. He knew them well, was taught them by way of navigating his home below the mighty Draco if he ever got lost.

He flinched as she suddenly wept, unsure of how or why she would be, curious as to why such a beast seemed so frail. For a moment, he felt drawn to her side, to help her, because maybe she was lost. These were very dense woods that lacked any safe berry bushes to eat from, and territorial animals were only a wrong path away. He felt a whine build in his throat, unsure of what to do, instead choosing to merely watch as the moon came above the lake as his elders said it would. Its light reflected brightly against the surface of the water, almost blinding when it first appeared. It lit up whatever lied underneath, hidden crystals or bioluminescent algae, that made the water glow a truly auspicious hue. He smiled, for this was the wonder he was genuinely excited to see, reigning in his happiness before his tail began to wag.

She smiled as well as it lit up, gracefully wiping her tears with a handkerchief, stepping further into the shallow water to observe up close. He flinched as the sound of a twig breaking nearby stole his attention, eyes darting to the line of the trees northwest of his location. Eyes well adjusted for the dark landed on an older, mean looking wolf snarling upon sight of the girl. She didn't notice, too busy humming and twirling on the shore, stuck momentarily in her own world. Panic rose in his chest as the wolf neared her, slowly stalking its prey, teeth sharp and certainly making an aim for the neck she displayed without much of a thought. He kept to his feet, breath rapid as he tried to hurry his decision. She was human, humans were evil, so he shouldn't interfere with nature taking its course. But she was lovely. Even from afar he knew her beauty was one no dragon back on Tenrou could match. And she was sad, the tears that spilled from her eyes beckoned him to aid her, gripped his heart and forced him to his knees. The human had wormed her way inside him like an infection caught in the wind. The warnings his father gave him had been right, humans were dangerous beings.

He flashed into his more humanistic form, desperate to move as the wolf reared its pounce. She caught sight of the wild mutt, body still as a faint gasp left her lips. Fire boosted from his feet as he shot across the water, rearing his fist as it attempted its kill. He snarled as the animal fell to the ground, challenging it with a thick growl. Natsu's scales and fire crawled up his skin, scaring the savage thing into submission with its tail between his legs.

The dragon huffed as he calmed his aura, cautious as the breath of the girl behind him pulled him away from his sudden anger. He was slow to face her, dread filling the pit of his stomach as he met her shaking eyes. Natsu watched her chest heave, hands clasped tightly as she held them close to her. He wanted to run, knew he should run away from the human who he was sure would try to kill him.

They stared at each other for quite some time, the lake illuminating each other's features, either too scared to speak. The dragon felt clammy, feeling hot when he'd never so much as broken a sweat under the cape of his flames. Her eyes were doe and kind, full and a deep shade of brown. Her scent wafted in the wind, sweet, inviting, and warm. Natsu felt his scales bristle at his attraction for the human, Igneel's words suddenly at the back of his mind.

"Thank you…" He gulped as she began crying again, the gravity of the situation quickly falling to her shoulders. His hands moved without thought, wiping the tears he so strangely despised.

"Go home, it's not safe out here," He mumbled, still holding her cheeks, impressed by their softness.

"But…the wolves…" She blushed as he toyed with her, serious eyes seemingly taking all that he could of her in.

"I'll take care of them," An instinct bubbled in his chest as he let her go, somehow sick at the idea of allowing her to leave.

Natsu paced in annoyingly rapid circles, his cousin near ready to knock him on his ass. It had been almost a week since his encounter with the human girl, his experience unlike the tales the ancestors had spun. He feared this is what they warned him of, their control powerful enough to fill his mind with constant thoughts of themselves. His nose tracked her faint scent, hundreds of miles away but it followed him like a ghost. Gajeel found himself a bit worried when the flame brain kept mumbling to himself and hadn't bothered to fight him since the night he snuck off.

"Alright," The metal dragon grunted as he dragged the shorter boy off into the woods. "The hell is going on with you?"

"I can't say," He frowned, ignoring the deep glare the other sported.

"I'll go tell the others you sneak off the island all the time, so fess up Salamander. You've been driving me crazy with your annoying ass grumblin'."

Natsu knew of the consequences if he dared to tell the truth, trusting his cousin better than the sure punishment of his adventures being leaked to the adults.

"I met a human," He sighed, cringing as the color drained from Gajeel's features. "She was about to get eaten by a wolf—I couldn't just watch! I-I don't know what happened…we only spoke for a minute…she's all I can think about, all I can smell…I can't stand being away from her!"

"You gotta go kill her," He said seriously, gripping Natsu's shoulders as he growled. "This is exactly what Metalicana and Igneel warned us about! She's infected you with a curse!"

"A curse…" It made sense, ability humans were sure to possess to lure him in with obsession. "Can it be undone? I…I don't know if I can hurt her."

"That's the curse talkin', a human would never reverse their magic to save you. I say get her before she gets you. Leave before it gets any later, I'll cover for you,"

Natsu was almost too eager to take off towards the setting sun, snout leading him in the direction of the human witch who was probably waiting for him to arrive. It stung, the thought of having to burn her to a crisp to save his sanity, thinking the girl too precious. More than anything he wanted to wrap her in his arms and coo her to sleep, protect her from outside dangers, hoard her and keep the blonde to himself. He shook his head of these crippling thoughts as he slowed his approach to her home. It was a lone tudor castle in the middle of the woods they had first met. It was old, practically falling apart, deserted if not for the girl locked away inside. He landed on her balcony, quickly shifting as he was unsure the structure could hold the entire weight of his dragon form.

He watched through the window, too nervous to attempt walking in uninvited. The maiden just emerged from her bath, fluffy towel falling to the floor as she stood in front of her armoire, slowly shuffling through her collection of nightgowns. His breath caught in his throat, eyes raking over the lithe curve of her body, uncomfortable as he continued to watch her in secret.

"I…I can't…" He whined, unable to follow through and confront her as his cousin suggested. Her curse was too strong and pulled at his heart, wanting to run away but couldn't find it in him to leave again. He sat and waited in the shadows as he heard her clothes shuffle on, the creak of her bed as she ducked underneath the covers. The dragon anxiously chewed on his thumb as the change to speak to her slipped away, her breath steady and even as she fell asleep.

It had been hours until he forced himself inside her bedroom, instantly dropping to his knees as her aroma overcame his senses. The curse choked him, pulling him immediately to her side to smother his nose where it centered. He was grateful for her heavy sleeping habits, lost in himself as he practically climbed on top of her. He purred and nuzzled against her cheek, holding her close as he sat above her blankets, a whine thick in his throat. His sharp canine bit into his bottom lip, breath ragged as he stared intensely at her sleeping face. Gajeel's words floated through his mind for a moment, and he saw his chance to rip away at her while she slept. His cheeks flushed as she mewled in her sleep, squirming underneath him as she adjusted herself. Her spell was too strong, he couldn't even think about raising a hand against her, she was too precious. The dragon licked his lips, shaking as he dipped closer to meet her own. Eyes fluttered shut as he indulged in her flavor, heart beating wildly even with such a quick kiss.

"A dream…?" The girl woke up with flustered cheeks, clutching her blanket close to her chest as she slowly sat up, the room empty just as it had been before she fell asleep.

"Natsu, where have you been?" His mother scolded him as he came through the trees of his home, jumping as his parents glared at him.

"We got home last night, and you weren't here, what's going on?" His father said as he crossed his arms. Gajeel said you were on the other side of the island, we couldn't find you."

"Sorry, I was just explorin'," The pink haired boy mumbled as he pushed past them, cringing as Grandine pulled him back.

"Your scent…" His face paled as she caught a whiff of his scent, Igneel curious to smell him as well. "Eh? Natsu, you've imprinted?"


End file.
